Dumber's Blunder: Remaking the Wizarding World
by Myrtle the Tyrtle
Summary: Set after the war... but not Harry's war. Albus Dumbledore has defeated Grindelwald, but destroyed a good portion of Europe to go with it. Story tells of events at Crown School of Magical Studies in 'New Avalon', as the world is reforged.
1. Background

**DUMBER'S BLUNDER  
By Myrtle the Tyrtle**

**Chapter One**

65 years ago, one war was being fought on all faces of the Earth. It had begun when a German wizard, Grindelwald, decided he would invade a neighbouring country, Poland. From there, the struggle and conflict spread, until all the major magical countries had joined the war. Britain and its allies were fighting the German threat, while the Americans fought blindly at the Japanese after the Asians had performed a mass killing curse operation at Pearl Harbour. The Italians were in the war as well, fighting anyone they could get their hands on.

In the spring of 1945, the great wizard Albus Dumbledore, a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the strongest wizard in the British forces, destroyed Grindelwald in single combat. It is still, to this day, unknown what spell Dumbledore used, but every witch and wizard, young and old, know what it did.

It was a spell so terrible and great, it ended up destroying most of Europe, and earned Dumbledore the nickname, "The Biggest Fool to Walk the Earth". Fortunately for him, he never had to hear it, as the blast killed him, as well as most of the wizarding population.

The remainder laid low for a while, but eventually came back out into the light, a diminished race. The magical schools did not flourish as they once had, and education became a self-taught or home-schooled thing, and the magical communities became separated from each other.

Until, one day, when a man stepped down from a mountain in snowy Tibet. He walked the entire face of the Earth three times, and gathered all the wizard families. He took them to a small corner of the planet, down in the South Pacific; a chain of three islands off the coast of the world's most populated Muggle country, Australia, he had purchased from the government years before.

Legend has it, that he stood on a hill bearing but one tree, and crowned himself the King of Wizards.

The King set up a number of magical facilities on the islands, including Brutus' Hospital, the provincial Quidditch and Duelling competitions and, of course, the Crown School of Magical Studies.

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**November 15, 2005.**

It was rush hour at the Sydney Central Youth Hostel. Bags were flying everywhere as the receptionists were checking backpackers in and backpackers out. To make matters worse, a school group had also turned up.

"We're gonna play in the Opera House," a bespectacled girl with a large instrument case shared with a departing guest, as she waited for the teacher to distribute the keys for their rooms.

"Just dandy," muttered the young man, and went back to forcing his way through the crowd.

Yes, the rush hour was always a hectic time of day at the SCYH. So busy, in fact, that nobody noticed three students break away from the rest of their group and make their way up to the top floor.

Nobody noticed them playing dangerously close to the edge.

Nobody noticed them at all… until one happened to trip and fall over the barrier.

He screamed, so loud it could be heard over the din in the lobby, and everybody's heads whipped around fast. Some stampeded out the door to see what was happening, and once they had, they wished they hadn't.

Several of the women fainted – but not the girl with the glasses. Her green eyes flashed silver, and the falling boy slowed down, and landed safely on his feet.

Later that night, he returned safe from a nearby hospital, with a form to say he was extraordinarily fine. One student, however, who was not at the hostel that night, was a small girl with glasses.

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**December 4, 2005.**

„Drei Wochen bis Weihnacten!" The loudspeakers in the Berlin mall announced, atop the loud din of the shoppers.

One such shopper was a boy who looked to be between nine and ten years of age. He carried no bags and wore such thin, ragged clothing that the other shoppers took pity on him, offering food and money to the poor boy.

„Der Strauβ", they called him. "The Orphan" was a good name for the boy – he had no other – and it was true, yes, his mother had died in childbirth, and he had never known his father. In any other country he would have been sent to an institution – but in the wake of the 1945 War, Neo Germany had a rapidly failing government, and there were now over one million homeless citizens.

The Orphan stared into a shop window filled with things he would never be able to afford. Suddenly, he caught a reflection of a tall Christmas tree – a Weihnactsbaum – falling towards an elderly couple counting their coins. But then, at the last second, the tree miraculously changed paths and stood tall again.

Most people continued with their shopping, but a few clambered through to the old man and his wife.

And one person took the Orphan by the shoulder, and led him out of the mall.

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**December 17, 2005.**

"As you requested, Professor," a young man in his late twenties or early thirties said out loud as he wrote it down, "all the Muggle-borns within the requested age bracket have been tracked down and given the information required to find the school come February 6th. Until then, John."

He folded the letter up, and tied it to the leg of a waiting owl. "Take it to Professor Helliwell, girl," he said, and watched the owl soar off towards the isles of New Avalon.

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**February 6, 2006.**

They were an odd assortment. Seventeen children, all aged nine to eleven, all waiting outside the airport at Aklin City, the capital of New Avalon.

"What are we actually doing here?" asked a girl with bushy red hair and glasses.

"Well, according to the letter I am holding in my hand and re-reading for the two hundred and fourteenth time, we are waiting for a train outside Aklin City Airport," answered a boy with an unbelievably thick nerd accent.

"Well, I know that, but why?" she questioned.

The rest of the group was lost for words. None of them knew why they were there.

"And how can we be waiting for a train when there are no tracks?" she continued.

The crowd behind her mumbled to their neighbours. Some comments of "she's got a point," and "maybe it's a hoax," were heard.

Just then, with a flash of light, a large red steam train appeared out of nowhere, and stopped in front of the children.

The driver stepped out. "Hello, and welcome aboard, this is the…" he checked his watch. "… nine fifty-eight train to the Crown School of Magical Studies. Please step aboard now; do not rush; do not trip; and do not talk to the driver while the vehicle is in motion." He tipped his hat, and stepped back into the engine. The rest of the doors slid open, and the children had no choice but to do as he said.

"I wonder why nobody else can see the train?" asked the girl, as she climbed up. It was true – none of the other people waiting at the airport seemed to notice the large train that was right in front of their noses.

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**February 6, 2006.**

It had been dark for some time when the train finally reached its destination. Most of the children aboard were now asleep, and missed the second crossing onto an island, but were jolted awake when the train stopped outside a large green field.

The driver's voice echoed down the train. "We have now arrived at the Crown School of Magical Studies. Please exit the vehicle in a safe and careful manner, taking all baggage and belongings with you. Thank you for travelling with Crown Railways; we hope you enjoy the rest of your day."

The overhead lights blared on, and the children, blinded by the sudden brightness groped around for their bags.

They stumbled out into the darkness to meet six adults wearing long cloaks that swished gently around their ankles in the breeze.

Once they were all assembled, the one standing in the middle with a bright blue cloak said, "Please follow us to the main hall of the school," and led them over the field to a cluster of buildings.

It was warm inside the hall they entered; there were several fireplaces on the walls, and a round table in the middle.

"Please choose a seat, and sit down," instructed the man in the blue. The children did as they were bid. The adults joined them in the remaining seats.

"If you don't mind me asking," asked the girl with the glasses and red hair, "what _are_ we doing here?"

"Miss Hawke, isn't it?" asked the man in the blue robe. He continued after she nodded 'yes', "this is a school. At schools in your old home countries, you would have learned things. This school is no different… other than the fact that you are all witches and wizards and we are going to teach you magic."

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**A/N: If this story was being televised, this would be the time when the ads roll across the screen and you get up to make a cup of tea. However, it is actually a fanfiction, so I will leave you with the following desperate plea:**

**Please Review! It is my first original fic (not one that makes fun of events in Harry Potter) and I am a bit dubious about its continuation. Let me know what you think!**

**Myrtle**


	2. A History of Magic

**DUMBER'S BLUNDER  
By Myrtle the Tyrtle**

**Chapter Two**

"… we are going to teach you magic."

There was a stunned silence.

"But… you can't!" it was the talking girl. "There's no such thing."

The man in the pale blue robe smiled gently. "John, I think a demonstration is in order."

A tall, black man in a scarlet robe stepped forward. He waved a long pointed stick – a wand – and shouted an unrecognisable word. Light burst from the end and hit a chair in the corner of the room. It turned into a pig.

The girl – Miss Hawke – clapped appreciatively, but everyone else stared.

"That was Professor John Gooding, demonstrating a wonderful display of Transfiguration. Now do you believe there is no such thing as magic?"

A pale boy raised his hand, and blushed as red as Professor Gooding's robe when everyone looked at him. "When will we get to do that, sir?"

Professor Gooding smiled. "Not for quite a while. It takes some building up to."

Another girl spoke. "Are we the only students in the school?"

"No, of course not. There are hundreds more students – but they are on summer holidays," answered the man in the blue. "There will be more in your year too, the beginner year. You lot have been brought here now because you are not from wizarding families. We endeavour to give you a basic understanding of magic so you can pick it up easily at the same level as your classmates when you get back to school in March."

The pale boy raised his hand again. "What will we learn?"

"Ready to get started, are we? Well, your lessons will begin tomorrow. Preliminarily, you will be learning History of Magic, Basic Spells and Wandcraft, Potions, Herbology and Astronomy, but in the term you will also take Flying, Duelling, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts," said the blue wizard. "And… oh! I do believe I've forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Professor Helliwell and I'm the Headmaster. These are Professors Gooding, Williams, Penitax, Pye and Smethwyck," he waved at wizards wearing red, yellow, green, violet and dark blue robes respectively. "They are five of our house Deans. Unfortunately, Professor Mortenson could not be here as he is currently working for the Royal Family."

"You still have a monarchy?" asked the Australian girl. "Wow…"

"Yes, Miss Hawke, we do. You will learn about it tomorrow in History of Magic. It will be your first class, and held at ten o'clock in this hall. But now it is late, so Professor Smethwyck will show you to your dorm rooms for the time you are here."

The Professor stood up, and led the children to their accommodation for the time being, where they quickly fell asleep with dreams of magic and royalty.

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The next morning most of the students were up early, getting to know each other over breakfast. At five to ten, Professor Williams came in to begin the lesson.

"Hello, good morning, class. Are we all awake?" he enthusiastically greeted the soon-to-be-first years, receiving a mumble in response. "Excellent," he continued regardless. "As you should no doubt remember, I am Professor Williams, and I will be taking you for History of Magic. This topic will be taught in three lessons for the week you are here, and each will cover a different part of your Wizarding History. Today we will be looking at an overview of how our world came to be."

He passed around some flashy-looking textbooks, and instructed them to turn to page 4.

"Oh my god, the pictures are moving!" exclaimed one boy, clearly out of his depth.

"Yes, they do tend to do that," said the Professor, clearly amused. He proceeded to clear his throat and read from the textbook:

_Wizards have existed for millennia, but it was only 1000 years when the first great school was set up by the four witches and wizards who have been regarded as the best of all the ages. They were Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Their school was called Hogwarts, and they each governed one house and taught a subject until their dying days._

_Hogwarts flourished for many years, and produced hundreds of thousands of great offspring. Unfortunately, it was one of its offspring that played an important role in the destruction of said school._

Williams looked up. "It is important, at this point, to know that not all wizards are good. Some are pure evil, and some are plain foolish. The wizard we are about to meet was one of those fools. In fact, he was such a fool that he was dubbed the Greatest Fool Ever to Walk the Earth."

_Albus Dumbledore graduated from Hogwarts in the late 1800s, and was teaching Transfiguration when the First Wizarding War broke out. This was covered up in the Muggle World with what they knew as World War Two._

_A dark wizard called Grindelwald (Hitler, for the Muggles) decided to conquer the world. Albus Dumbledore headed an organisation called the Order of the Phoenix, aiming to stop Grindelwald's plans. Alas, he failed, and as a consequence of the difficult magic he did not administer properly, half of Europe was destroyed._

"Would anybody like to share their opinions on what I just read?"

A thin looking boy raised his hand. "Because of the war my country was given a bad name," he said in a thick German accent. "Our land was diminished and infertile… until the revival of 1961."

"That is true, um, sorry… I don't know your name."

The boy looked up sadly. "Neither do I," he said simply.

There was a slight pause before the teacher tried to mend the moment. "Anyone else?"

But nobody else wanted to speak about their post-war experiences or opinions, so the professor moved on to the next topic.

For the next sixteen years, the wizarding world fell into disarray. The remaining schools closed, and the international community drifted apart. No wizarding countries joined together for organised sport or politics. Until one day in the early 1960's – the very same day that our friend's country regained its footing – a man stepped down from the snowy Himalayas, and reforged the bonds between magic folk. 

_He set up the country you are in now as a wizarding monarchy, with himself as the head. He renamed it New Avalon, after the legendary isle of old. Owls were commissioned to alert all of wizardkind of the land where we could prosper without fear of Muggles finding out. The best…_

Professor Williams trailed off, realising a number of the class were looking lost at the word 'Muggle'. "For those of you who haven't worked it out yet," he said, "a Muggle is our word for non-magic-folk, like your parents and most of the people in your countries of origin."

_The best wizards and witches were brought in to make the magic of the country unnoticeable. Muggles would, of course, be able to travel through the country, but would not notice any magical activity. The former occupants of New Avalon, or New Zealand as it was known, were relocated under the influence of deception charms._

"I believe you will learn about these in year two," said the Professor, and opened the floor for more questions.

"Were there any wizards who didn't wish to be integrated with the rest of the world?" asked a dark boy.

"Yes, Mr Mostafa, there were. You are from Egypt, I believe? Well, Egypt was a magically strong country, one of the best in the world, and the many wizards there chose to form their own wizarding republic. The reason you did not join their school was because they consider themselves to be an elite group, free of the merged Avalon monarchy."

"What of the Europeans who didn't die in Dumbledore's, er, accident?" asked a Japanese girl.

"Well, Miss Shuiken," began the Professor, but the Australian girl, Miss Hawke, interrupted.

"I can answer that," she said.

"Well, go ahead then."

She cleared her throat. "England and the British Isles were completely annihilated, but the other survivors relocated. For example, a French colony was established in the Australian Outback, while the Northern Europeans sought asylum in America."

"Yes, that is correct," confirmed the professor.

"And is there anything left in England?"

The professor looked away. "Sadly, no. Nothing has been left but the ruins of a few buildings, covered in ash. It was said to be worse than the destruction caused by Mt Vesuvius in the first century AD." He paused, before continuing with the final paragraphs of the chapter.

_The legacy of Hogwarts was so great that four of the six houses at the King's new institute of learning were named after the four houses of the original school. Two more houses were added, to convey the support and admiration that the King had shown for other wizards prominent through history._

_Adam Arrondale was the British Minister for Magic during the war. He was a wise, brave man who had a passion for potions and line dancing. Roosevelt Buckland, an American, was essential for the setting up of the new country, and the King honoured this by naming a state and a house after him._

"Each of the houses has its own history, with good times and bad. With this in mind, we must remember all are equal as you are sorted with the wand ceremony later this afternoon," said Professor Williams as he checked his watch. "But now, lunch."

He clapped his hands twice, and golden plates of food appeared on the table quite magically. Leaving the students to eat their meal of chicken wings and fresh bread, he turned and walked briskly back to the staff room.

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**A/N: Hopefully my report of the History of the Wizarding World since 1945 has satisfied your curiosity, and you are now fluent in my AU history. If not feel free to ask me any questions and I will get back to you.**

**Myrtle**


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